Day By Day: Past, Present, Future
by VoicelessPanda
Summary: Prologue - A chain of events occurred, changing the lives of 4 teenage turtles forever. Main story - 9 years later, life goes on. The turtles are older (Roughly mid-20's) and still have things in the basement, so to speak. Will the meeting of two young women be the spark that ignites the green machine once again?
1. Prologue 1A: Rings of Fire

Prolouge: Part 1A

Rings of Fire: Raphael's Viewpoint

I never thought that I would ever be outdone, or outsmarted, hell, or even outclassed. But I do know one thing...that day...I was angry. I was more angrier than I ever was in my whole fucking life. That day started out just like any other: Mikey watchin' his stupid cartoons, Don holed up in his lab all damn day, and Leo trainin' and meditatin' with Master Splinter. Then there's me...the maniac, the loose cannon, the hothead, the 'evil' one: beating the holy hell out of my punchin' bag. It's a hell of a way to get the blood flowing, and I intended on makin' use of it. Donny has his geek stuff, Mikey has his games, Leo has...whatever he has. Me? The punching bag right here? This is my world. My own little peace of heaven. I wasn't really paying too much attention to my bros and my father at this point since I was too busy fuckin' this bag up. Heh, I was killin' it! As I stopped to wipe the sweat from my forehead, I saw Leo and Splinter talkin' about something. I wasn't one to pry. Hell, I didn't care. I just kept hitting my bag, imaging some Purple Dragon scumbags or some Foot Clan bastards as my targets. Each one I imagined made me hit the bag harder. I can hear Donny now...getting all pissed at me for breaking the chain again. Eh, what does he care? He never trains on this baby! Oh well...that's big brained Donny for ya.

At some point during my exercisin', Splinter tapped me on the shoulder with his walking stick. He told me he was going out for a walk, and that he would be back later. I whatevered it and went back to beatin' my bags' ass. I'd say about, eh, I dunno...2 hours passed by, and I was reeking of adrenaline. I grabbed my sais from the ledge and put them on my belt. I see Mikey on the couch watching TV with his cat Klunk. I find it a bit odd that someone wants to spend so much time with that nut. Oh well, I guess that cat doesn't know any better. It was looking dead in the lair, so, I decided to go out and get some air myself. As I was heading towards the entrance, Leo stopped me. He always wants to know what i'm doing, where i'm going or why i'm leaving. Shit, you'd think he was our damn mom or somethin'! Anyways, I tell him i'm going out to get some air. Leo gives me his "holier than thou" look, and moves aside so I can leave. Sometimes...I really hate my brother. I really do.

So, there I am, walking through the sewers of New York. The smell of this place would probably gag a human, but for me, this was home. I decided to go down the old abandoned sewer tunnel that connected Ashland Ave. and Ridge Blvd. This place was blocked off when we were kids, but...I ain't no kid anymore. And to be honest, I don't see what the big damn deal was from the jump. As I walked through this old tunnel, all I could think about was me and my bros laughin' and playin' in these old sewers. Playin' follow the leader, hide and seek, tag, and all those other kiddie games. Splinter hated the fact that we went so far into the sewer system, so, he gave us barriers. Heh...I never listened to his "words of wisdom". This is probably why I always got in trouble as a kid. Oh well...it is what it is. So, I head towards the Oak Ave. manhole exit, and I hear a faint sounds. Sounds like someone talkin' or somethin'. So, me being me, I go and see what's going on. I stick to the shadows and I head eastward towards the noise.

"...think...gonna...YOU?! Damn...BASTARD!"

That was all I could really make out, due to the fact that I was a few hundred feet away. So, I kept going in the direction of the sounds. As the sounds get louder, my mouth started drooling...because I knew there was probably some punks that I could put a hurtin' on. Heh heh. So, as I turn the corner and peek my head around, what I saw sent fear and anger into my head. I saw this guy with his hand around Master Splinters throat, pinning him against a wall of the sewer. He had a dagger pointed directly at Splinter's heart. I didn't think twice about it: I sprung from the shadows and took out my sais. This bastard picked the wrong family member of mine to fuck with. As I ran towards this bozo, he put Splinter in a chokehold of sorts and pointed the dagger into Splinter's back. This pissed off so much, to the point of me going berserk.

"Oh boy...another FREAK! This must be my lucky day!", the strange man said tauntingly

"What did you just call me punk!?", Raphael screamed.

"Oh, what is this? You actually care about this rat thing? And I thought this was going to be an easy job!", the stranger said with a sinister smile on his face.

Master Splinter always told me to calm myself and think before I acted. That was the last thing that went through my mind...before I did what I did. I lost it. I leaped at this bum with my sais forward. He rolled out of the way with Splinter in his arms. My sais were jammed in the concrete wall of the sewer, and I was struggling to get them free. What I saw next will stay in my mind forever: the sick bastard put his left foot on Splinter's chest and his right foot on Splinter's head, squatted down and slit my sensei's throat. Cold...blooded...murder. I ran at the guy, and started giving him the beating of his life. I was BEYOND berserk at this point. I wanted to kill him...no...I NEEDED to kill him. Splinter always told us that killing was the LAST RESORT for us, if we didn't have any other options. I didn't see any other options to go by, so this fucker had to die. He took my father from me. He was going to die today.

I grabbed his bloody face and slammed it hard against the concrete wall of the sewer. As he lay on the ledge twitching, I aggressively pulled out one of my sais and jammed it in his throat. It felt so good to kill that sorry excuse for a human. As I saw the last sign of life from his body leave him, I hurried over to my fallen sensei. I saw the pain in his eyes, even though he couldn't say anything other than gurgles and gasps. I couldn't leave my father to die in this sewer: I had to take him home. I know he would have wanted to be around his sons when he passed on. This was my chance to do something right for a change. So I picked up my father and ran back to the lair, fighting back the tears that filled my eyes so many times. As I came into the lair, I dropped to my knees with Splinter in my arms. Just then...it hit me. He was injured, and I was too late, too rash, and too hotheaded to save him in time. All I could say then was...

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"


	2. Prologue 1B: Through a Child's Eyes

Prologue: Part 1B

Through a Child's Eyes: Michelangelo's Viewpoint

As far back as I can remember, my brothers and I were always told by our father, Master Splinter, to expect the unexpected. To be prepared for anything, to calm our minds and think rationally. I know out of the four of us, I am usually the one to joke around about almost EVERYTHING sensei tells us, but, today...it all became clear to me. Somethings in life just...aren't...funny. After today, that last part really hit home for me. I got up early this morning so I could get to the TV before anyone else could. It was a Saturday, and that's when ALL the best cartoons are on! Ya think i'd let Raph or Donny get the remote before me? HA! Fat chance! So there I was, chillin' in the den with my little buddy Klunk. He's such a good lil' kitty! He always hangs out with me. We read Justice Force comics together, we watch Tom & Jerry together, and we chow down on pizza together! He's my best friend, even if he is a little scared of Raph.

I was trying my BEST to watch cartoons, even with Raph smacking his punching bag like a big fathead. So, I did what any teenager would do: I turned the volume up on the TV! At one point, I looked over and saw Leo and Splinter sparring with each other. I think Leo trains to hard. I mean...what is he trying to prove? Does he even HAVE to prove anything? I think he's trying to impress sensei too much. I know he will just deny it, but, hey, I have two working eyeballs ya know! Even I know when someone is trying to be a buttkisser! Then I see sparks going off like mad in Donny's lab. I don't think Donny knows how to have fun. I mean REAL, HONEST fun. To my geeky brother, his idea of fun is sitting back on his computer, and chattin' it up with other tech-heads about RAM's...and ROM's...and other crazy techno stuff. I asked Donny to teach me leet-speak, but, he just told me that I wouldn't understand it. Donny isn't the only turtle that watches Star Trek! I know some techno mumbo jumbo too! Oh well, I guess my bros are who they are for a reason. Meh, I guess they'd say the same about me.

So, about...an hour or so goes by, and I was totally into my toons, until my stomach started to growl. I was hungry! So, I got up and went into the fridge and grabbed the essentials: chips, dip, sodas, leftover pizza, some kibble for Klunk, some cotton candy, and of course, peanut butter! So, I made Klunk a little portion of each food thingy in his little food dish. Klunk loves it when I spoil him! So after I got him out of the way, I went back to the couch and got started on some serious snackage! So there I was...remote in one hand, my other hand glued to the bottom of a Doritos bag, and my mouth stuffed with pizza. It's so AWESOME being me! Me and my main man...um...me and my main cat Klunk, stuffin' our faces and watchin' some kick ass cartoons! I mean, who WOULDN'T want to spend a Saturday morning watching TV? It's much better than being tossed around by a hothead, or being talked down to by your older brother for not "training enough". Why is everyone always picking on ME? I train! Um...sort of. I could train as hard as Leo does, but, I just don't see the point. It's overkill, ya know?

I mean, I'd rather work on my agility more than my fighting. I can do just fine! I got mad nunchucku skills! Meh...sometimes, I feel as if I am the only one being looked down on. A half hour or so later, Tiny Toon Adventures came on. Yeah, these shows are old school, but, that ain't gonna stop me from watchin' em! I was so into it, I didn't hear the lair entrance open. I noticed Raph wasn't in the lair anymore, so, I just assumed it was him coming back home. A few seconds pass, and I hear Raphael screaming at the top of his lungs. That scared me, so I stood up and I saw him on his knees with Master Splinter in his arms. I ran over to him and I saw that sensei was bleeding! Badly! I didn't know what to do! So I ran to Donny's lab and told him to hurry up with his MedKit. When we ran back to Raph, Leo was already there. He was shocked and asking Raph a ton of questions. I couldn't take it anymore...I just cried. I didn't even know what had happened, but all I knew what our dad was hurt. I just hope he's going to be alright...for all of our sakes.


	3. Prologue 1C: Error Macro

Prologue Part 1C

Error Macro: Donatello's Viewpoint

Fear: the one thing that can make you…or break you. Amongst my brothers, I am not really the one to show fear. But when something life altering happens to you, you'd be surprised how quickly fear can consume you. Today just seemed like another ordinary day for us, but little did I know that danger, heartbreak and fear…were just around the bend. I didn't really get a lot of sleep Friday night, since I was so busy working on my latest technological breakthroughs. I'm sure I dozed off at some point during the early morning, seeing as how when I woke up, my forehead had keyboards dents in it. I don't really like sleeping in my lab, but, I really needed to get this done. I was exhausted from working so hard, so, I went to the kitchen and made myself some coffee. April got me hooked on this stuff during those long nights we spent tuning up the Battle Shell. I've been drinking it ever since.

As I waited for the coffee to get finished, I heard Mikey coming downstairs. He was being his usual self: sliding down the pole to our lair with Klunk in his arm, running through the lair like a buffoon, and flipping over the couch and snagging the remote control so he could drown himself in TV. I envy my little brother for having THAT MUCH ENERGY so early in the morning. Most people in this world need a "pick me up" to get through the day: all Mikey has to do is WAKE UP and BREATHE. I find this rather fascinating and odd at the same time. As soon as my coffee was done, I poured myself a nice sized cup, and I sipped it slowly as I headed back to my lab. I saw Mikey and Klunk watching some cartoons on the TV. I said my good mornings to him, but, I don't think he heard me. He was too busy immersing himself in cell-by-cell animation. Whatever makes him happy I suppose. Better the TV than my lab! So, I make my way back to my lab and I shut the door behind me. I take my 4 computers off of sleep mode, and I get right back to work…sort of. I tend to daydream most of the time.

They say that dreamers are the ones who are the brightest. I think that I fit this description very well. Not trying to brag, but, most of the things we use around the lab, most of the things that we use to thwart crime, and a good number of the things we use to help innocent people, are all based off of the ideas I had swirling around in my head. Sometimes, I amaze myself at how brilliant I am. My brothers often call me names like 'techface', or 'brainiac'. But we all know deep down that when it's crunch time, I am the one who has our back. I mean, who else are they going to turn to? Raph? HA! So, once I finished running around in my own inner thoughts, I went back to work. I was working on a prototype for an audio controlled set of cloaking miniature fighter jets. These babies would have definitely gave us an edge if we were fighting the, now dead and forgotten, Foot Clan, or if we had to infiltrate some top secret military base. I…doubt it would come down to the military thing, but hey, a turtle can dream can't he? I grabbed my blowtorch, and I pulled my goggles down over my eyes. I began to torch the metal of one of the wings, so that it could form with the body of the jet. Boy, the feeling I get from seeing those sparks fly: it's almost surreal. I worked on that prototype for well over an hour after I had my coffee. I am not one to actually admit that I needed a break from any type of work, but in this case, I needed one. Badly. So, I rolled my computer chair over to my personal computer and signed into my Yahoo E-Mail account.

As soon as I signed in, I was pretty much bombarded with email notifications. I…guess I haven't checked this thing in a while. I mean…4,287 emails? It made me cringe, but I pressed on: FOR SCIENCE! Well…I don't see how science really relates to emails. I just…felt…like…saying…it. As I was deleting my emails, I periodically looked up out of my window into the lair. I saw Raph and Leo talking about something, and as usual, Raph and Leo were in each other's faces. I don't really know what they were fighting about now, nor do I ever. Actually, I don't even care to be honest. Those two have been fighting since they could TALK. You…get used to it after a while. Then I stop with my email quest, and I turn my chair around to the other window. I see Mikey stuffing his face with all that junk food while watching TV. That doesn't bother me. What bothers me is that I saw Klunk eating PEANUT BUTTER! I know Mikey isn't exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer, but, even HE knows you're not supposed to give a cat peanut butter. Little brothers…I swear, even though it may not be intentional, they always seem to get under your shell. I really need to get these emails corrected and sorted out. April was telling me that she was going to send me her ideas on the New York Navigator vehicle we were working on. She seemed to like the main idea and concept I had, so she told me that she was going to sketch out some designs and whatnot, and email them to me. I hope I didn't delete it by mistake!

So I pressed on, or in this case, clicked on, deleting useless emails about Rage City gift cards, or how to increase my…well…on how to increase certain body parts in under 2 weeks. If Mikey uses my personal computer to go on MySpace or Facebook one more time, or if he uses this machine in ANY WAY, I'm going to smack him. He is the main reason people like me get spam and viruses! About a half hour in these emails, and I don't think I even made the slightest dent. I was at about, oh…3,530 emails left to delete? Good grief…I guess this is a wake up call for me to check this account more often. I leaned back in my chair and allowed my brain, and my hands for that matter, to rest for a moment. I was actually planning on getting a few winks in before our 1pm training session. As I was just dozing off, I hear a scream echoing in the lair. It sounded like Raphael. It startled me a bit, but, Raph is always screaming about something or another. I just assumed some random thugs got away from him, and now he's all bent out of shape about it. It's typical with him, always losing his mind over every little thing. So, I leaned back in my chair and tried to go back to my nap. As soon as I closed my eyes, Mikey burst into my lab telling me to get my MedKit. He had the look of straight panic and fear on his face: I knew something was wrong if Mikey didn't crack a smile. He was babbling something about Splinter being hurt and bleeding really bad. So, I immediately rushed to my med center and grabbed my MedKit.

I rushed to the middle of the lair, where my brothers were. I look past Mikey, who at this point was crying intensely, and I saw Master Splinter being held in Raph's arms, bleeding from his neck. I couldn't believe my own two eyes. Was this some sort of dream? Some demented hellish nightmare that I couldn't escape? As I was staring in disbelief at my sensei, Mikey was screaming at me to save his life. As I saw the gash in my father's neck, all I could do was close my eyes and hold back the tears. I went over to Raph, and took Master Splinter from his arms, and placed him into mine. As I hurried back to my lab, I could hear Leo running behind me, and Mikey crying his eyes out. I only hope that I can do the impossible…and win the fight against time.


	4. Prologue 1D: Honor & Strength

Prologue: Part 1D

Honor and Strength: Leonardo's Viewpoint

Honor, loyalty, courage, rectitude, benevolence, respect, honesty. These are the words that I live by day in and day out. My sensei, no…my father, Master Splinter, trained my brothers and I by this code: the Bushido code. The code of honor. Never in my life have I dishonored this code, nor have I abandoned my family because of its ways. Splinter trained us to be one, not just in battle, but in the mind, in the heart, and in the soul. Everyday, under his guidance, I trained with him, meditated with him, fought alongside him so that I could better myself in the path of Ninjitsu. Today seemed like all the other days that past. I just wish that my eyes and my mind could escape the terrible outcomes that occurred. I awoke earlier than usual on this day. I'm not sure why, but, I guess the body knows when it wants to get up. As I wrapped up my wrists, I started to calm my mind, so that I could be mentally ready for the day's events. Living with 3 brothers, who are very much unlike one another, you need to be prepared for anything. I grabbed my Katanas from the wall, and placed them in their sheaths.

As I walked around the lair, I surveyed each of my brothers' rooms. Raph, as always, laying face down in his hammock, dead to the world. Snoring like a madman. Mikey and Klunk, trapped in a cocoon of comic books and pizza boxes, and then there's Donny…wait a second. Come to think of it, I haven't seen or heard from Donny since yesterday afternoon. I walked to his lair, and crept in. I saw my little brother lying at his desk, with his head smashed against his keyboard. To this day, I truly don't know how anyone can sleep on that thing, but, I guess Don grew accustomed to it over the years. I smiled and closed his lab door as quietly as I could, so that I wouldn't disturb his rest. The lair was quiet this morning, and it was nice to actually enjoy some peace and quiet. I wasn't listening to Raph and Mikey fighting over the TV, or hearing Don laughing loudly at some crazy technical joke that April told. Don't get me wrong, I love the activity of this place and everything, its just sometimes it can drive you a little…crazy.

I started to make my way back to my room, so that I could meditate, but, I wanted to see if Master Splinter was awake. I quietly opened his door, and peeked inside. The smell of incense and lavender filled the room flooded my nose, and pulled me inside. Master Splinter was up just as early as I was: maybe even earlier. As I walked into his bedroom, I kneeled before him and said my good mornings.

"Good morning Master Splinter."

"Good morning, my son. What brings you into my room as such an early hour?"

"I was just checking in on everyone. I was up earlier than usual, and I figured I'd check and see if everyone was ok."

"Very good Leonardo. Showing concern for your brothers at such an early hour. Very noble indeed. But I can see that you came in here for a direct reason. What is troubling you, my son?"

"Nothing is the matter master. I was just going to meditate in my room prior to my coming in here and disturbing you. I…am sorry father."

"No apologies are needed my pupil. Your presence is always welcome in this place. Out of all of my sons, you are the most determined. I am so proud of you my son."

"Thank you Master…"

After I briefly conversed with Master Splinter, I got up and started to leave his bedroom. I took one last look at him, smiled, and walked out of the door. I walked to the center of the lair, where all of our training equipment was. I closed my eyes, put both of my hands on my katana hilts, and I began to train. I never moved so fluidly in my entire life. My eyes were closed, my twin katana moving swiftly, cutting the air with each strike. I can't describe the feeling inside of me. I truly don't think I can: some things in life you can't explain. That is how I feel when I am training on my own. I felt as if I was possessed by the great 16th and 17th century samurai, who used these same swords to fight with honor and discipline. I envisioned myself being in an immense battle, with nothing but me and my blades. Attacking with force and cutting my foes with extreme determination. I only wish my brothers knew how peaceful this frame of mind is. The focus that one can bestow upon himself from being in pure peace: it's almost surreal. I am waiting for the day when my brothers take our trainings seriously.

Mikey doesn't seem to want to take anything seriously, unless it's some kind of cartoon or video game. There is going to be a time in his life where he is going to have to swallow some of the world's harshest realities: and there isn't going to be any type of superpower or video game that will be able to calm his mind. Then there's Donny, he's a smart guy, and his heart is always in the right place. My main concern with him is his focus. He seems to concentrate more on gadgets and gizmos than he does his ninjitsu training. While it's true he does have a gift for that stuff, in the end, that stuff truly won't help his focus as he walks down the path of the warrior. I hope he sees this soon…before it's too late. Then there's Raphael. He is just too hotheaded for his own good. He fights well, I give him that, but out of all of my brothers, he is the main one who lacks focus in battle. Something goes wrong in his eyes, he goes berserk. He really needs to train side by side with Master Splinter, so he can repress some of this anger inside of him. Raph always gets in my face for trying to help him: sometimes I wonder why I even bother. After I finished my solo training, Master Splinter gently grabbed me by the shoulder and turned me around.

"Leonardo. Your training has become swifter, like the raging storm winds that threaten a mighty city. Is there something inside of you my son?"

"No sensei. I am fine. I was just…releasing some frustration that I had on my mind the past couple of days. I'm alright now."

"Remember my son, frustration is the enemy that twists and contorts itself into anger and rage. Don't let it consume you my son."

"I won't father. I promise."

"Good. My son, I am going out for a morning stroll. These old bones aren't as young as they used to be. I will return to you all, so that we can begin your training at our scheduled time."

"A stroll you say. Do you need some company, master?"

"That is alright Leonardo, but the offer is much appreciated. Just look after your brothers while I am gone. Good-bye, my son."

"Farewell father."

I bowed to my father, he bowed to me, and he headed out of the lair. At this point, I was somewhat exhausted, so, I went into the kitchen and grabbed some water out of the fridge. As I was drinking, I saw Raph punching his punching bag with no type of mercy. I don't know what he sees when he hits that thing, but, whatever it is, it must be bad, on account of that poor bag doesn't have a snowballs chance of looking new again. Mikey, on the other hand, was watching TV. I don't really mind that so much, due to the fact that I don't watch anything but the 6 o'clock news. I just wish Mikey would watch something other than those mindless cartoons. Oh well, at least Klunk is being taken care of. I truly believe that is the one thing Mikey truly cares about. Hey little brother, it's a start. Who knows what Donny is doing in that workshop of his. I've given up trying to figure him out. He is always tinkering with something. Last week I saw him looking at my toothbrush, and I had to shove him out of the bathroom, just so he wouldn't get any harebrained ideas. I love my nerdy brother, but sometimes…he scares me. I finished my water and I headed out of the kitchen. I saw Raphael grab his sais as he headed towards the lair entrance. I immediately ran over to stop him. Not because I was being a jerk, but because I was worried for him AND other people. Raph isn't exactly the one you just 'let loose' on the surface without feeling any type of regret. So, I blocked the door from him and began questioning him.

"Raph, where are you running off to this time?"

"Geez, what's it to ya, Leo? Damn! Do I have ta' get your permission on everything?!"

"I just want to know where you're going, that's all. You know we have training sessions at 1 o'clock today."

"No shit Sherlock! I'm just going topside to get some air. It's dead down here, and I need to get out. So if ya'd GET OUT OF MY WAY…I can do that."

"Raph…just PLEASE don't do anything stupid? For me? PLEASE?"

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Later."

So, I let Raph leave. I didn't want to restrict him, but, I really don't have a choice sometimes. He's too rowdy to just go off on his own. Besides that, I wasn't in the mood for an argument today. He, on the other hand, will argue with me all day long. Why? I don't know. We've been arguing for about, oh, 15 years now? I guess some things will never change. I was waiting for Splinter and Raphael to return, so that we could have our training sessions. I had a good amount of time to kill, I'd say about 1 ½ hours or so. I decided to go into my room and do some deep meditation. Not only does it help relieve daily stress that I might be encountering, it also keeps my mind and my senses clear. The more my mind relaxed, the relaxed my body became. I began to mentally converse with myself. One such thought I encountered was the recollection of the Samurai Code: the ancient words of the great samurai, that my good friend, Usagi Yojimbo, told me some time ago.

I have no parents; I make the Heavens and the Earth my parents.

I have no home; I make the Tan T'ien my home.

I have no divine power; I make honesty my Divine Power.

I have no means; I make Docility my means.

I have no magic power; I make personality my Magic Power.

I have neither life nor death; I make A Um my Life and Death.

I have no body; I make Stoicism my Body.

I have no eyes; I make The Flash of Lightning my eyes.

I have no ears; I make Sensibility my Ears.

I have no limbs; I make Promptitude my Limbs.

I have no laws; I make Self-Protection my Laws.

I have no strategy; I make the Right to Kill and the Right to Restore Life my Strategy.

I have no designs; I make Seizing the Opportunity by the Forelock my Designs.

I have no miracles; I make Righteous Laws my Miracle.

I have no principles; I make Adaptability to all circumstances my Principle.

I have no tactics; I make Emptiness and Fullness my Tactics.

I have no talent; I make Ready Wit my Talent.

I have no friends; I make my Mind my Friend.

I have no enemy; I make Incautiousness my Enemy.

I have no armour; I make Benevolence my Armour.

I have no castle; I make Immovable Mind my Castle.

I have no sword; I make No Mind my Sword.

I felt so peaceful…up until I heard a scream echo throughout our lair. It sounded like Raph. I immediately got up, and ran to where the sound was coming from: the entrance of our lair. As I hurried to him, I saw that he had Master Splinter in his arms. When I got closer, I saw that our father had been slain, and was near death. I dropped to my knees in front of them, and asked Raphael what had happened. Raphael's eyes…I'll never forget how they looked. They looked lost…hallow…dark…and most of all: fearful. I could see the anger and rage in his eyes, as well as the compassion. A few moments later, Don came and took Splinter from Raph's arms, and ran him back to his lab. I ran right behind Donny, leaving Raph alone with Mikey, who was crying his heart out. As we made it to the lab, Don gave Splinter to me, so that he could clear off his operating table. All I could do was look at my father, so weak and so helpless. I could hear him trying to talk, but, all he could get out was gurgles and gasps. I had to be strong for us. I had to be. But deep down inside my heart, as I saw the panic in my brothers' eyes and faces, and as I saw my dying father in my arms, bleeding to death, I wondered just how strong I truly was. I wondered to myself if I could be the leader that they need me to be.


	5. Prologue 2: Shut Down and Restart

Prologue Part 2A

Shut Down and Restart: The Present Through Donatello's Eyes

I still don't understand why this had to happen. I truly can't fathom why ANYONE, human or genetic lifeform, would want to harm our master: let alone borderline end his life. Now, my brothers and I are in a very surreal predicament: trying to save the life of a rodent who saved ours. There I was, throwing my papers off of my desks, and tossing my marvelous tech to the side: watching it hit the floors below. I didn't care about them at this point: a life was at stake, and I'll be damned if I cry over some machinery rather than my own father. Once I cleared my operating table off, I told Leo to place Master Splinter on it. As Leo was doing so, I placed numerous pulse monitors and life support equipment on my sensei. I was using them to scan his body heat, which in turn gave me a very accurate read-out of his health. Splinter was already at 43%: I didn't have much time. I needed to work, and I needed to work FAST. I wheeled Splinters' bed into an iron lung type chamber, so that he could at least breathe easier. Looking at the gash in his neck, I grabbed the necessary tools to assist me in my efforts to doctor up Master Splinter. As I was doing so, I was being talked to by Leo.

"Donny, what is going on now?"

"Well, it looks like Splinter is going into a state of shock. I can partially heal his wound with some medi-wax tape, causing the blood to stop. But, I still need to stitch up the wound."

"…Is he going to make it bro?"

"Leo, I don't know. I honestly don't. But I promise you this…I won't stop until he is all better. I promise you."

I wrapped Splinter's neck carefully with the medi-wax tape, so that I wouldn't put him in anymore pain. Sensei's eyes looked so lost and lonely, almost as if he was readily accepting death. I cannot and will not allow my father to die: not on this day. I leaned our sensei's head back on the pillow, so that I could get into his wound. I started to stitch it, when all of a sudden, Splinter put his hand on my wrist. I stopped working, and looked at him. He tried to speak to me, but, all he could say was husky gurgles. I rubbed on my sensei's hand to calm him down, but he was so insistent on getting my attention. He lifted his arm, and pointed out to the lair, almost as if he was asking for something. He motioned me to get closer to his face, and without thinking twice, I did as I was told.

"M-…My s-s-s…..on…."

"What is it Master? You need to tilt your head back so I can try to heal you. I'm not going to let you-"

Before I could even finish my sentence, Master Splinter grabbed my shoulder and pinched it roughly. Even in his final moments, he still had a way of getting his point across. So, I listened to what my father had to say. He pulled me close, and weakly pointed to the lair entrance again. I think he wanted Mikey and Raph to come into the lab, where Leo and I already were. As I looked into his eyes again, I could tell that my father was ready to accept his fate. I could tell…that he was ready to leave us. I hate saying that about my dad, at such a young age, but, it's true. Our father was dying, and I knew then that he didn't want to be saved. I quickly ran to the middle of the lair and grabbed Mikey and Raph. Mikey had tears streaming down his face, as he was embracing Raphael. I think out of the four of us, Mikey took this the hardest. I don't quite understand why, but, I have a feeling that he'll tell us when he is ready. As we made our way back to my lab, we saw Master Splinter's hand being held in Leo's. I think Leo wanted his final moment with Splinter before he departed us. Not saying that's wrong, but, we wanted our time too. I saw Splinter point towards Raph, Mikey and myself. Splinter motioned for us all to kneel by his bedside. Without hesitation, the four of us did as we were told.

"My s-s-sons. Do n-n-not fear d-death. I have al-w-ways-s…tau..ght…you to…be…prepa…red…for all of….life's struggles. Worry….not…my sons-s."

Splinter tried his best to get out what he had to say. I looked over at my brothers, and they were so distraught; Mikey especially. Raphael didn't really say a whole lot since he came back to the lair. I guess he is still trying to process everything: much like we all were. Leo, on the other hand, for the first time that I personally have seen, showed panic. Leo was never the one to panic in a dangerous situation. I think this time, for him, the rules have changed. Mikey was always jolly and full of life. But now…he looks like something has sucked the very essence of his being out of him. I never saw him cry harder in his whole life. If I was to guess, I don't think this was the way of "waking up" for him. We all told Mikey that he needed to 'grow up' one day: but we never thought that it would take something like this to have that mindset sink into his head. Me, on the other hand, I am calm. I know what sensei is doing. He doesn't want to be saved. I wish that I could save him, but, I can tell in his eyes that he has made his final decision. I looked over at the pacemaker, and it read '1.5%'. Splinter didn't have much time to live now. He lost too much blood as is: he knew it, I knew it. I refuse to cry…for I now know the truth. Splinter then said his final words to us: words that I will never, ever forget as long as I am alive.

"I love you all…my sons-s."

With those words said, the pacemaker showed a flat line, and a long, continuous beep filled the lab. Our master, our father, our guide and our best friend…was dead. Even still, I did not cry. I looked over at Raph, and I could tell he was about to erupt with every known emotion known to the human/mutant psyche. I looked to my left, and Mikey just looked lost. He didn't have any emotion on his face whatsoever. I feel strange saying this about my little brother, but, he looked…serious: and that scared me. Leo, who at this point was holding Master Splinter's hand, was crying his heart out. I never saw Leo break down so badly in my entire life, even when we were kids. We all suffered a grave loss, and the result of it is nothing more than a hellish present. I felt it necessary to break the silence.

"What happens now, guys?"

Not one of my brothers uttered a single word. I immediately questioned myself for saying anything at that point in time. I got up off of my knees, and grabbed my shell cell from my bookshelf. I dialed April and Casey's number.

*ring*

*ring*

*click* "Hello?"

"Hey April, it's Don."

"Hey, Donny! What's going on?"

"It's Splinter, April…"

"Oh my gosh, is he alright?"

"He's dead April. He died a few moments ago."

"Oh no…Don…I…I'm sorry. How are the others taking it? Do they know?"

"Yeah…they know. Listen April, we'll fill you in on the details later. Can you please come and pick us up? We need to find a location to bury Splinter."

"Ok, no problem. Casey and I are on our way."

"Ok. Thanks."

"Hey, Don?"

"Yeah?"

"It's going to be ok. You know we'll always be here for you."

"I know. Thanks April."

When April and I disconnected the conversation, I grabbed 2 large white bed sheets from my storage closet. I began wrapping Splinter's body in one of the sheets. I truly can't say that I had a lot on my mind as I wrapped up my father's body, but, I'm sure something was there. Raph started to help me with the body wrap. I saw the pain in his eyes as he helped me. At one point, I thought I saw a few tears fall from his eyes. I think at this point, I was the only one that didn't cry. I don't know why. Splinter's body was fully wrapped, and Raph held the body in his arms. We waited around for April and Casey to show up. It wasn't that long of a wait, maybe 10 minutes at the most.

When April and Casey arrived, Mikey and Leo got into the back seat of April's van, while Raph, Casey and I loaded Splinter's body in the trunk area. This was a very brute way to handle a dead body, but, it's all we could do. We couldn't just walk freely in the streets: we're not that welcome in the human world. When Splinter's body was loaded up in the van, Raph and I got in the 2nd row of seats, and Casey went back to his original position in the passenger seat. April drove towards the countryside of New York. There was plenty of space out there, and it wasn't heavily populated. So, we could actually go out in the open and truly not be noticed. Casey and Raph grabbed the shovels out of the trunk, and started digging underneath a huge oak tree.

During the dig, I saw April approach Mikey, who still hadn't said a word since Splinter passed. She put her hand on his shoulder, but Mikey still didn't respond. I think he just needed to be alone. Once the hole was dug, Leo and Raph gently lifted Splinter's body and placed it in the freshly dug grave. All six of us surrounded the hole in the ground, and wondered what to do next. April began to say a prayer for Master Splinter. I didn't know that April was religious, but, I don't think this was the case. I think it was based on the circumstances and the moment. Once April finished her prayer, Leo, Raph and Casey began to fill the hole with dirt.

I walked to April and put my arm around her shoulders. I could tell she was a wreck, because once I comforted her, she buried her head in my chest and cried. I looked at Mikey who was standing near another tree. He had his back towards us, and what looked like his head hanging. I wish I knew what was going through my brothers' head. I guess he's thinking the same thing we're all thinking: 'where do we go from here?' My only regret now is…not knowing the answer to this question. For once in my life, I can't give my brothers the answers they need.


	6. Prologue Finale: All Grown Up

Prologue Finale: All Grown Up…

Two weeks had passed since the burying of Hamato Splinter, and his four sons were feeling the pain in many different ways. Donatello, for the most part, had made peace with the loss of his father. The pain he felt was commonplace: he was the only one of his brothers to actually see his father's death. Those final moments with Splinter drove Donny mad to the point of having nightmares almost every night. In his mind, he felt that he could have done something more: but it just wasn't meant to be. Raphael was more open with his inner thoughts, as well as his words. He saw the cold blooded attack on his sensei, and that bothered him more than anything else: even more so than Splinter's actual death. All he could replay in his mind was him lunging at his master's killer…and him being too angry. Too bitter. Too late. Splinter always told his son that anger is a beast that can kill from within. A beast that can be tamed, even if the tamer had the bitterest of hearts. Raphael always brushed his father's words off due to the fact that he was always angry at pretty much everything. Deep down in his soul, Raph wishes that he could have just five minutes alone with his dad again: just so he could say that he was right…and that he was sorry for disappointing him time and time again.

Leonardo was numb, if anything else. That entire day replayed in his head constantly. From the moment he awoke on that fateful Saturday, to the burying of his sensei, he kept trying to find some kind of clue as to why Splinter was no longer there with them. In some way, Leo regrets following his sensei's order of staying in the sewer as opposed to walking with him. If he had went with him that morning…maybe he would still be here to spar with them, talk with them, fight with them, and above all…love them. Leonardo loved his master very much, and was closest to him out of his brothers. The loss hit him hard, and it even made him question the code of Bushido. Michelangelo was quiet ever since that day happened. No one could talk to him because he was either crying in his room with the door locked, isolating himself from his family, or writing and being in his own world. Leo, Don and Raph had pains of their own, but, Mikey's pain was stronger. His carefree world crashed all around him when Splinter died. Splinter always told Mikey that he needed to see the world around him for what it is, not for what he wanted it to be. He was always told to mature and follow the correct paths in life. All he could say at this point was:

"Is this what you wanted, sensei? Is this what you meant when you said that I needed to see the world for what it was? Am I being punished for something? Is it because I played video games and read comics, instead of practicing my ninjitsu skills? Is this all because of me…?"

As the four turtles sat in the kitchen together during breakfast one morning, the sewers were quieter than usual, other than the usual breakfast clatter of dishes and silverware, the shaking of cereal boxes, and the crunching of foodstuffs. Raphael sat mostly pensive, angrily chewing on his bacon. Don just stared at his oatmeal. He didn't get a lot of sleep the night before, so he was still trying to wake up, somewhat. Leonardo didn't bother eating his food. He just had a glass of apple juice and sat at the table with a slight frown on his face. Mikey sat there at the table with no emotion on his face whatsoever. He was usually the one to grab everything on the table and mix it all together to create, what he liked to call, the 'Ultimate Dish'. He didn't bother grabbing anything to eat, not even a simple glass of juice. He just sat in his chair, and petted Klunk slowly. At one point, he put Klunk on the table and gave him his sausage links. As the breakfast went on, Don tried to break the silence.

"So guys, how did you all sleep?"

No one said anything to Don. Each turtle was wrapped up in their own world, and Don knew it.

"Come on guys…", Don said with desperation.

He wanted the lair to have life in it again. Everything seemed a bit colder with Splinter gone.

"Look Donny, I know you mean well. I do. I just…don't feel like talking right now", Leo said.

"Yeah bro, I'm with Leo on this one", Raph said as he got up from the table and walked into the living room.

"Well…I just don't want us to not talk to each other. Leo? Mikey? You know this don't you?"

Before either turtle could say anything, the phone rang. Donatello got up and answered it. He had no idea who could be calling so early in the morning, but, he answered anyway.

"Hello?"

"Hey Donny, it's Casey. How you doing, bro?"

"Hey Casey. Um, we're doing alright, I guess. How are you and April?"

"We're ok too, man. Listen, I know it's early and everythin', but, April wanted me to call youse guys up to see if guys wanted to go see Splinter today? We were going to head out to the Oak Orchard Countryside this morning to go see him. Do you guys want to come with us?"

Don thought long and hard about it. He didn't have a problem going to see Splinter's grave. He was the only one that made peace with the whole ordeal, but, that didn't mean he could just up and answer for the rest of the guys. He told Casey to hold on a moment, so that he could find the others and ask them if they wanted to come along. Don put the phone down on the table and left to seek his brothers. He immediately saw Leo sitting on the couch watching the morning news.

"Hey Leo? That's Casey on the phone. Him and April are going up to Oak Orchard to visit Splinters grave in a while. I was going to go. Do you want to come with us?"

"Of course I do. Did you even have to ask…?", Leo said with numbness in his voice.

"Ok then. Um…where's Mikey and Raph?"

"I think they are in their rooms. You know how they are these days…"

"Yeah. I do. Thanks Leo."

Don headed up to Raph's room to see if his brother was in there. Normally, Don would be a bit unnerved to go up to his older brothers' room for the simple fact that Raph frightened him at times. But, that wasn't the case today. Don knocked on his brother's door, but the door surprisingly swung open slightly. Don walked in and saw his brother laying on his hammock.

"Raph?"

"Forget it Donny, I ain't talkin'"

"No…it's not about that. Casey is on the phone. He and April are going up to Oak Orchard to visit Splinter's grave. Leo and I are going with them. Do you want to come with us?"

"Yeah I'll go. I'll be down there in a few, ok? Gimme a sec."

"Ok. Thanks Raphie."

Don left Raphael's room and headed down the hall to Mikey's room. When Don made it to his brother's room, he knocked on the door. He waited for a few moments and didn't hear a response. He knocked again, waited a while, and still heard no response. Don wasn't the type of guy to take control of a situation, but in this case, he had to. He let himself into Mikey's room. He saw Mikey laying on his bed with his shell towards the door and headphones on his head. He had his music blaring loud enough to where Don could hear it from the doorway. Don tapped Mikey on the shoulder, and Mikey took his headphones off.

"Jesus Donny, don't you know how to knock?!"

"Mikey, I DID knock. I knocked for…quite some time. Do you know how LOUD those things are?"

"Whatever dude. What do you want? Klunk and I are busy right now."

"Casey's on the phone. He and April are going to Oak Orchard to visit Splinter's grave. Everyone else is going. Do you want to come with us, bro?"

"No.", Mikey said blatantly.

"Wait…are you serious Mikey?", Don said with utter concern in his voice.

"I didn't stutter, did I, Donny?"

"Wow. Ok Mikey, I don't think you're feeling well. Your acting more screwy than usual."

"Oh no, I am just FINE, Donatello. Don't judge me, ok? I have my reasons as to why I am not going, much like you guys have your reasons FOR going. I just want to be alone. Please…just respect my wish just this once."

"Mikey, you've been by yourself ever since we came back home from burying Splinter! Outside of breakfast and dinner, we never see you anymore. You always isolated and you keep locking us out. Why are you acting like this?"

"And why in the hell are you trying to analyze me?! I am trying to do my best given the circumstances! I just want to be left alone! Nobody bothers you when you are in your lab. No one bothers Raph when he prowls the streets. And no one bothers Leo when he trains. So why all of a sudden am I the subject of ridicule in this family?! Do you have an answer for THAT, Donny?!"

Don took a step back and just looked at his brother. He saw the pain, anger and sadness in his eyes. He never, in his 19 years, ever saw Mikey act like this: and deep down, that frightened him. He didn't mean any harm, he just wanted to help him the best way he could. It was obvious at this point that he wasn't going to change Mikey's mind, so, Don just left him alone. Don picked up the phone in the kitchen again, and began to speak with Casey once again.

"Casey?"

"Hey Donny. I'm still here. Yeesh, I was thinkin' you went all ninja on me again", Casey said with a slight chuckle.

"No. Sorry about that. I was trying to find everybody to see who was coming with. I don't think Mikey is going to come with us."

"Whoa, really? Why not?"

"I…don't know actually. I think he still needs some time alone. But, Leo, Raph and myself? We're going. We'll be ready when you guys get here."

"Ok bro. We'll see you in a few. Take care."

"Ok. Bye Casey."

"Later."

Thirty minutes or so passed, and Casey and April finally arrived at the turtles' lair. Don, Leo and Raph all boarded April's van and headed towards Oak Orchard Countryside. After an hour or so of traveling, the group arrived at the Oaken Trail Grounds. They all walked over to the large oak tree that shadowed Splinter's grave. Some of he leaves from the tree had fallen on top of the burial place. Leo and Don brushed the leaves away, while April placed fresh bouquets of flowers on the headstone. April began to tear up as she surveyed the scene because like her friends, she too missed Splinter's warm presence. Casey wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her in closer, as Raphael joined his brothers in a kneeling position around Splinter's grave. Donatello was silent while dusting off Splinter's headstone. Leonardo had tears flowing down his cheeks, and wasn't afraid to show his emotion. Raphael wanted to cry, but no tears would come.

"We are here, father…", Leonardo said with his voice shaking. "We're here to visit you this morning with heavy hearts."

At this point, Leo couldn't even utter any words. He was tearing up too bad to speak freely anymore. Raph put his hand on Leo's shell and pulled his brother close to him. Raph was never the turtle to show 'brotherly emotion' out in the open, but, for some reason, today was different.

"What Leo is trying to say master is that, well, we miss you a lot. Hell…I miss you more than anything. If it wasn't for me…maybe you'd still be here right now…", Raph said with pain in his words.

Raphael began to break down and cry: maybe even harder than Leo did. He felt ultimately responsible for Splinter's death. He blamed no one but himself for the events that unfolded on that day. If he would have just calmed down and listened to his father, but the anger, his mistress…his cruel, heartless mistress…refused to let him think clearly. Leo embraced Raphael in a hug so Raph wouldn't feel guilty of the past. Raphael welcomed it. Out of the remaining three of his brothers, Leo knew Raphael quite well: even when he was in utter pain and heartache. This was one of those times. Donatello, at this point, took his turn in talking to Splinter. He had a few things he wanted to get off his chest as well.

"Hey, Master Splinter. It's me…Donny. A lot has happened in the last few weeks since we had to part ways. The lair…it's not the same anymore. It seems colder than usual. More quiet. We've changed, dad. I worry about us…".

Don paused while he tried to gather his thoughts. He was the only one kneeling at the gravesite at this point. Leonardo and Raphael were standing against the oak tree, while April and Casey were sitting in the trunk space of the van. April was still crying, and Casey didn't want to leave her side.

"Splinter, I worry so much about Mikey. I think he took your death the hardest. He isn't himself at all. He doesn't laugh, he doesn't joke around. He has lost his very spirit, and this deeply concerns me. I think he died with you sensei. I really do".

Don got off of his knees and stood up above the grave. He looked at his brothers and began to walk towards them. The three brothers embraced each other in a group hug of sorts and wept. Not just for master Splinter, but for each other. As the three headed towards April's van, they saw a figure in the distance. The figure just stood there, not moving an inch. Leo tried to squint to see who it was, but couldn't get a clear vision because of the morning sun beaming in his eyes. The figure approached the turtles slowly, and they didn't take any chances. Raph was ready to fight whoever it was, while Don told him to cool it. The mysterious figure happened to be youngest member of the family: Michelangelo. A sigh of relief came over the turtles as they approached their little brother.

"Mikey? I thought that you didn't want to come?", Don asked.

"I didn't…", Mikey said with a monotonous voice.

"Wait a minute…you didn't want to come?! What the hell is wrong with you, Mikey?!", Raph screamed.

"Hey…don't yell at ME, Raphael. You know…if it wasn't for YOU, our precious father would still BE HERE!", Mikey said coldly back at Raphael.

That stung Raphael deeply, and it made him even more furious. Mikey, in his current state of mind, didn't care who he hurt or who he scarred. He seemed almost soulless.

"Michelangelo Hamato, you take that back right now!", Leo ordered.

"Not this time, Leo. I refuse to listen to your orders anymore. I refuse to be mocked and laughed at by you guys. I refuse to be the butt of everyone's jokes…"

Before Leo could get a single word out of his mouth, Raph stepped in front of him with his arms folded. He was seething, and his focus was on his baby brother. Raphael was trying so hard to remain calm, but, he really wanted to hurt Mikey for what he had said.

"I want an apology…NOW.", Raphael demanded.

"Oh yeah? I want Master Splinter to be alive and well, but, we're not getting that now, are we? And…why is that again, Raph? Want me to refresh your memory?"

Raphael lost it. He punched Mikey in his jaw with all of his might. If he broke his jawbone, it would have been an added bonus. Mikey stumbled back and tripped over some rocks, causing him to fall on his shell.

"GET THE FUCK UP, MIKEY!", Raphael screamed.

Leonardo put Raphael in a full nelson, so that Raphael couldn't inflict more pain on Mikey. Donatello rushed over to Mikey and checked to see if he was alright.

"Raph?! Have you lost your mind?!", Leo said.

"Me?! You think I deserved him to say that shit to me without me kicking his ass?! Let me GO Leo!", Raph said while struggling to get free from Leo's grasp.

"No Raph, not this time!", Leo replied.

"Wow…now I know why we lost Master Splinter: Raph hits like a bitch. Always has, always will…", Mikey said with coldness in his voice.

Donatello stood back and looked at Mikey in amazement. He didn't know who this was standing in front of him. He didn't know if he was serious or if it was temporary insanity. Either way, Don knew that if Raphael got free from Leo, he would pummel Mikey to no end. Maybe even try to cripple him. Don knew deep down that Mikey was still hurting, but, he still couldn't figure out why he was saying all these hurtful things.

"What is wrong with you Mikey?", Don asked.

"Nothing's wrong Donny. I just see the bigger picture now…", Mikey said while looking at the grass.

"By hurting your brothers?!", Raph screamed.

"No…by speaking the truth when no one else seems to want to.", Mikey responded.

"What…? That made no sense Mikey.", Don chimed in.

"Life doesn't make sense, Donny…", Mikey said with his head down.

Mikey began to walk towards April and Casey's van. April and Casey ran towards him with concern on their faces, but, Mikey kept walking, totally ignoring them. April and Casey walked over to the others and tried to figure out what just occurred.

"Donny? What the heck is going on?", April asked.

"I don't know anymore, April. I think Mikey has officially snapped.", Don responded.

"Hey Leo, um, why are you holding onto Raph like that?", Casey asked with a confused look on his face.

"Raph and Mikey exchanged words, and…well…let's just say if I let go of Raph now, Mikey won't live to see the light of day.", Leo said calmly.

"Yeesh, you and Mikey? I'm used to you and Leo going at it, but, not you and Mikey. What happened, man?", Casey asked Raph.

Leo let go of Raph, so that he could speak. After a few minutes of cracking his neck, Raphael began to speak.

"Mikey thought it was a good idea to place the burden of Splinter's death on me. So…I punched him in the jaw. Hard. I would have loved to introduce my fists to other parts of his body, until Splinter Jr. here had to stop it."

"You know I had to do it, Raph.", Leo said.

"You should have backed me up! You KNOW the truth Leo!", Raph said with hints of tears in his eyes.

"Oh my gosh…I didn't know. Raph? Are you ok?", April asked.

"Eh…sure. I've been through worse.", Raph said calmly.

Just as Raphael finished his sentence, a sound of tires screeching filled the air around them. The gang looked around, and saw that April's van was being stolen…by Mikey. Mikey took April's van and began driving towards Heavenly Hill: the highest point in the entire countryside. It was a cliff that had a 500 ft. drop, with the Oak Orchard River beneath it. Raph, Leo and Don began running towards the van, following the tracks that were left behind. Each of the turtles feared the worst, but they kept running. As Mikey approached the cliff, he kept on driving with the seatbelt buckled tight. Leo was the first one to approach the cliff. He saw the van in the distance, and screamed for his brother to stop. Mikey didn't even hear his brothers' plea. As the three turtles raced down the rocky path, they saw that Mikey wasn't stopping. Then in an instant, it was all over. Mikey had driven April's van off of the cliff and landed in the waters below. As the van crumbled on the jagged rocks below, the turtles finally reached the edge of the cliff.

Donatello dropped to his knees in utter shock, while Raph and Leo looked down into the water with their mouths agape. Michelangelo took his own life, and no one knew or understood why. When Casey and April finally arrived at the scene, it was too late. The damage had already been done: and there was nothing that anyone could do to change it. Reality slapped each person hard that morning, and there was no turning back now. April, Leo, Casey and Raph started walking back to the gravesite, while Donny stayed behind. All he could do was look at the mangled van being washed away by the currents below. For the first time since Splinter's death, Donatello cried hard. He cried so hard that he collapsed on the ground and screamed. The pain that he felt was intense, and he wanted to let it all out right there on that cliff.

Later that night, Casey, April, Raphael, Donatello and Leonardo held a memorial service for Michelangelo. All they did was put Mikey's belongings in a large box, and put that box in his room. Donatello locked off Mikey's room, so that no one could go in, as he did Splinters. They were sacred ground now: grounds that should never be disturbed. As the three brothers went to bed that night, all they could think in their minds was 'what now?'.

_The story is never over. Words are never left unspoken. The reality of life is at a constant battle with our imagination and our fantasies. Choosing to see things differently and deciding to follow that choice or to disregard it is a constant struggle. What will become of our heroes now? Is this a bad dream? Or is this the sickening stench of reality, coming back to haunt them like an ungodly plague? Only time will tell…as they walk forward in their lives. Day by day, seconds become more precious than the last. Can one truly withstand the sin of turning their back on time…?_


	7. Chapter 1: Broken Beginnings (Part 1)

Chapter 1: Broken Beginnings (Part 1)

"Hurry up, Sam! We're going to be late!", a voice yelled from downstairs, in a slight panic.

"Keep your shirt on, Karla! I'll be down in a minute! Gosh!", Samantha replied.

Samantha hastily tried to brush her long brown hair, while attempting to put her shoes on, and finish putting on her makeup. Gravity, patience and Karla wasn't on her side …and she knew it.

"Hot damn!", Sam said while falling face first on her carpet, skinning her chin slightly.

"What are you DOING up there, Sammy?! We are GOING to be LATE!", Karla said in an even more frantic tone.

"I fell!", Sam screamed at her sister.

"Well stop falling and hurry up! I am not trying to miss this movie because you can't get ready on time like everyone else!"

Sam brushed off her sister's words and got up. The stinging bruise on her chin was small and unnoticeable, but at the same time, it hurt like no other. She slid into her shoes as she finished putting her hair into a ponytail. Quickly tying her shoes, Sam ran down the hallway, hopped on the banister and slid down the rail, landing directly in front of Karla.

"Good. Now we can go", Karla said in a monotonous tone while grabbing her car keys.

"Oh, how are you feeling, Sam? I'm doing GREAT, Karla! THANKS FOR ASKING!", Sam yelled whilst flailing her arms wildly.

Karla turned and looked at her little sister in an almost disturbed glance. "Are you finished trying to make me have a mental overload, or are you just getting started?"

"Do I win a prize if I successfully piss you off in some bizarre way?", Sam said with a slight smirk on her face.

Karla just looked at Samantha, and tossed her coat onto her head as she walked out the front door. She could already feel her headache coming, even though she was about to do something fun.

"Yeesh, some people just can't take a joke these days.", Sam said while closing the door behind her.

Karla and Samantha got into the car. No sooner as Karla started the car, Sam was busy trying to find a radio station to listen to during the trip to the theater. Karla just ignored it and drove the car. Karla knew that while at times her younger sister flat out irritated her, she was, in fact, proud of her. Samantha recently got a job in Washington, and was moving there in a few days. Karla wanted her last days in New York to be special.

"So Sammy, are you nervous about moving to Washington at all? I mean, it's a huge city, and we won't be there like we are now…", Karla asked with a serious tone.

"Well, kind of. I mean, I am looking forward to the experience and all that jazz, but, a part of me doesn't want to leave New York. I might feel a little home sick.", Sam said with a slight sadness in her voice.

"Oh come on Sam, it's not going to be that bad. I know you're excited to go off into the world on your own a little. Think of it as a new chapter in your life, sis."

"Yeah I know. I guess I will just miss everyone. You, mom, dad, James. It feels weird not being close to the family, you know, Karla? It's almost like I am abandoning you in some way…"

"I can understand that Sam. But you know we are all proud of what you've accomplished so far. Hell, I know I'm proud of you, kid.", Karla said with a sincere smile on her face.

"Thanks, K. That means a lot to me", Sam said smiling

"No problem, sis. Just don't tell James. He'll NEVER let me hear the end of it"

Samantha and Karla both laughed at that remark and finally arrived at the theater. They made their way to the ticket booth and paid for their tickets. As they stepped inside the theater, Sam made her way to the concession stand line, with Karla close behind.

"Are you getting anything, Karla?", Sam asked.

"Just a soda and some popcorn", Karla replied.

As Sam and Karla made their way to either side of the stand, they began to get their snacks before heading into the theater.

"Welcome to the Kerasotes Theater! Can I help you?", the concession crew stated to each customer that awaited movie treats.

"I'd like a small popcorn and a medium Mountain Dew, please", Karla told her clerk.

"Anything else, ma'am?", the young clerk said.

"No, that's fine", Karla replied.

"That'll be $4.59 please"

As Karla was paying for her snacks, Sam was in the other line preparing to order hers.

"So sorry for the wait. Welcome to the Kerasotes Theater! How can I help you?", the clerk said proudly.

"OK, check this out, chief", Sam said with a almost urban twang. "I would like a large popcorn, a large Hi-C orange, some nachos with an insane amount of cheese, 2 hot dogs, 2 soft pretzels, some gummi fish, some gummi bears, some gummi worms and…some reese's cups."

The clerk was taken aback at the order slightly. Samantha was fit in a physical sense, and the amount of junk she ordered just made the clerk twitch. He began to ring up her order.

"Um…that'll be $27.32 please", the clerk said with a look of amazement on his face.

Sam paid for her purchase, got her change, grabbed her tray of snacks, and made her way towards Karla. Karla wanted so badly to ask what possessed her sister to get so much junk, but, she remained quiet. Very quiet.

"What?", Sam asked her sister with a confused tone in her voice.

"Oh nothing. Nothing at all…", Karla said with a blank expression on her face.

Karla and Samantha made their way to the back of the theater, and found two empty seats next to each other. As they got comfortable in the seats, the movie previews began playing on the screen. 10 minutes or so passed, and Sam was working on her 2nd soft pretzel, her gummi bears, and the last few bites of her hot dog.

"Good grief, Sam…", Karla said with disgust. "You're going to make yourself sick eating so fast."

"What? I was hungry!", Sam said with her mouth slightly full.

"Chew. Swallow. Then we can resume our conversation. Thanks a bunch.", Karla said with a monotonously disgusted tone.

"I can't help that I need to feed my sexiness", Sam said with a wide smile looming across her face.

"I swear, moments like this make me FURTHUR think that you really ARE adopted…", Karla said with a slight smile on her face.

"Oh shut up!", Sam said, while throwing a few gummi bears at her older sister.

After a few laughs, the two sat back and enjoyed the movie playing on the screen. A few hours go by, and the movie ends. The two sisters make their way back to the car, while checking missed phone calls and text messages. They entered the car, buckled up, and made their way back home. En route home, Sam dozed off in the back seat from all the excitement…and the full stomach. About 20 minutes later, Karla stopped the car and began waking Sam up.

"Sam? SAM!", Karla yelled.

"Huh….wha…? What are you yelling at me for?", Sam said while rubbing her eyes.

"I will be right back. I forgot I needed to pick up some things from the store for dad. Can you watch the car?"

"Yeah…go for it.", Sam said sleepily.

Karla made her way into the corner market and began grabbing the items needed. Sam eventually dozed back off in the back seat of the car. As Karla was finishing up her shopping, two young men came into the store. They approached the counter simultaneously, while one of the men asked for some cigarettes. As soon as the clerk put the cigarettes on the counter, the other young man pulled a gun out on the clerks.

"ALL RIGHT GET THE FUCK DOWN, NOW! THIS IS A STICK UP! EVERYONE GET DOWN ON THE FUCKING GROUND NOW!", one of the men yelled out.

The patrons in the store got down and hid, trying not to be seen or heard. Karla dropped her groceries and dove behind the sodas. She was shaking hard under her coat, and she feared the worst. She didn't know what to do. She quietly snuck and peaked her head around the corner of the aisle to see what was happening.

"HURRY UP WITH THAT MONEY, ASSHOLE!", one of the men screamed at the lady frantically stuffing the bag with money from the register.

The other robber was surveying the store, looking for something else to steal, as well as scaring the patrons who quietly plead for their lives. Karla knew she had to get out of that store, or at least let the police know. She quietly reached for her cell phone and dialed 911.

"9-1-1. What's your emergency?", the lady asked.

"Yes, hi, my name is Karla Campbell, and I am at the corner of 158th St. and Lennox Ave at the Mama's Corner Store. It's being-"

Before Karla could finish her plea, she felt a sharp pain in the back of her head, and she fell flat on the floor.

"Well, I'll be damned…", the robber said while stomping on Karla's cell phone. "Hey Felix! We got us a live bitch back here! She tried calling the heat on us!"

"SHIT!", the robber screamed as he pointed the gun at the clerks behind the counter.

Without hesitation, Felix shot the 2 clerks in the chest and told his partner to book it.

"Hurry up Tony! Move your ass! And bring that bitch with you!"

Tony grabbed Karla by the arm and dragged her into an upright position. As the robbers made their way outside, they were panicked in trying to find a way to escape. Felix grabbed Karla's face and demanded to know where she parked her car, if she drove. Karla couldn't utter a word due to the sheer paralyzing fear of the situation. Felix lost his patience and smacked Karla across the face with the back of his hand, while Tony held her arms behind her. Karla whimpered from the impact, and just whimpered towards the green car parked on the street.

Unbeknownst to Sam, who was sleeping in the back seat, she had no clue as to what was going on at that moment. Felix felt up on Karla, looking for keys, and found them in her front pants pocket. The trio made their way to Karla's car. Felix opened the driver's side and opened the passenger side from inside the car. Tony then shoved Karla into the car and slammed the door. Sam snorted slightly and began to wake up slowly. Tony got into the back seat and pulled his gun out on Sam.

"Karla? Why are you sitting on the wrong side of the car?", Sam asked while rubbing her eyes.

Sam sat up slowly and immediately found herself staring into the barrel of the gun Tony had pointing directly at her face.

"If either of you broads scream, her brains are going to repaint this car. I shit you not.", Tony said with a fierce tone in his voice.

Sam began to break down and cry as her and her sister were being driven around the city, unsure of where they would end up, either alive or dead. Guns were pointed at both of their heads and the tears flowed freely from those same faces.

"Hey Tony. You feel like you need to get some action, right?"

"Yeah, I could use a nightcap Felix", Tony said with a smugness in his voice.

Karla and Samantha had no idea what was going to happen, but they knew where they were headed. Felix turned into a dark alleyway in a dead end section of the Red Light District. Felix stopped the car, and dragged Karla out of the driver's side door.

"Now cutie…let's see what you can do…", Tony said with an evil smirk on his face.

Tony kicked Sam dead in the chest, causing her to stumble out of the car and land on the concrete floor. Tony grabbed Sam's cell that fell between the seat, and made a quick phone call.

*ring*

*ring*

*click* "Yeah?"

"Hey Two-tone. Grab the boys and meet me and Felix at the Juniper Ave. Alley in Red Light. You ain't gonna believe the broads we got."

"Good stuff, huh?"

"Flawless curves man…"

"Keep em busy, and we'll be there soon."

"You got it"

Tony got out of the car and walked towards Felix, who was having his way with Karla.

"Yo Felix, I just passed a message to Two-tone to meet us here with the boys. We're gonna have some fun with these chicks."

"Sounds good to me Tony", Felix said as he pushed Karla onto the concrete.

Karla crawled frantically towards Samantha, and embraced her tightly as she cried. The two had no idea what dangers were just around the corner, but they knew they wouldn't be slow in coming. For at that moment, the both heard multiple car doors closing behind them…

_**To Be Continued...**_


	8. Chapter 1: Broken Beginnings (Part 2)

Chapter 1: Broken Beginnings (Part 2)

Samantha and Karla found themselves slowly scooting back against a wall of the alley. The 12 men that stood before them were grinning from ear to ear. Drunk with rage, and fueled by thoughts of utter chaos. Samantha couldn't speak, due to the fact that the fear had her by the throat. Karla tried to remain strong for her younger sister, even though she, too, was terrified for both of their lives. After a while, there was no more alley to scoot into. Karla and Samantha were against a wall in the alley, and there was no escaping these 12 men that stood before them.

"Hey Two-tone, what should we do with these broads?", one of the thugs said in an almost cocky tone.

"I don't really give a damn what you mugs do to them. Just make sure to save some for me this time!", Two-tone replied.

One of the thugs grabbed Karla by her long black hair and threw her against the wall of the alley, where two other men grabbed either of her arms. Samantha, although consumed with fear, tried to fight back regardless of the obvious odds. Sam rose up and punched one of the thugs who had ahold of her sister in the stomach.

"OOF! You little bitch!"

At that moment, a random thug member shoved Samantha from behind, causing her to stumble and fall into another part of the alley. As Sam tried to regain her composure, she slowly looked up and saw 6 men surrounding her; all with ill intentions of using her for their own sick and twisted ways. One of the men grabbed Sam and aggressively lifted her up by her neck, while his cohorts felt all over her soft, fragile body. The tears in Sam's eyes welled up and she frantically tried to locate her sister. Karla was thrown against the hood of one of the cars by Two-tone, who had undone her bra.

"Where in the fuck are you running, sweetheart? You don't like us anymore?", Two-tone said with a smug look on his face.

"Yeah cutie, you seemed to like it when your little punk ass friend tried to get the hit on me!", another thug said.

Karla tried to run, but to no avail. Two-tone wrapped a steel chain around her leg, causing Karla to fall face first on the concrete, a few yards away from Samantha. As the 12 men loomed closer, it became clear that they weren't going to let up on the impromptu rape that night. Trouble was in full swing, and the girls knew it. Felix pulled out a pocket knife from his coat pocket, and held it against Samantha's throat while he huskily licked the right side of her face. Karla was enraged, and she tried to break free from her captors, but to no such luck.

"Don't be so antsy. You're gonna get some too, girly", a random thug said while pulling a gun out of his coat pocket.

Samantha closed her eyes and hoped that it was all a bad dream, but her mind knew that it was all too real. She could feel multiple hands groping her body, undoing her clothes, and making her feel dirty inside and out. Karla finally got one of her arms freed, and immediately clawed at one of the thugs' faces. She wasn't going to let anything happen to her sister as long as she was alive. Her efforts were short lived, however, as a thug punched her directly in the face, causing her to slide down a wall of the alley.

"Ok, this is pissing me off now. Boys, hurry up and kill these whores so we can get some beers", Two-tone demanded.

The remaining 11 men drew various weapons from various places on their bodies, in addition to things scattered around the alley. The death sentence was made, and they planned on executing it to perfection. Karla was fading in and out of consciousness, while Samantha cried and frantically tried to escape the hold from 3 of the thugs.

"Time's up, bitch. You're a horrible first date", Tony said while preparing to jam a knife in Samantha's ribs.

At that moment, a glass bottle smashed against the wall directly near the thugs. In a slight panic, they thought someone was watching them.

"WHO THE FUCK DID THAT?!", one of the thugs yelled out.

"Marty. Slim. Diego. Go see what the shit was", Two-tone demanded.

"You got it boss", Slim said.

Following their orders, the three assailants searched all around the alley for the wise guy who threatened to put his nose where it didn't belong. As the three men turned the corner in the alley, they saw a figure crouching in the alley. The figure didn't move an inch. Upon further inspection, they noticed that the figure had tight, rippled muscles bulging in places that no other man had muscles.

"Hey smart guy, you lookin' to die?", Diego said

The figure stood slowly and simply said, "no…but you will…", while drawing what appeared to be daggers from his belt.

"Get him, boys!", Diego shouted.

The three thugs charged at the figure, who even still, didn't move an inch. As one of the thugs swung a steel chain at his head, the figure ducked and stabbed the thug in the stomach deeply and held it there. Releasing the weapon, the figure leaped over the other two thugs, slightly gleaming in the moonlight. The two thugs were perplexed and panicked at where the heavily muscled man went. At that moment, Slim found himself screaming in pain from a shattered kneecap and a stabbed neck. As Slim lay there bleeding to death, Diego backed up a few feet, whilst still maintaining a reluctant fight stance.

"What the hell are you?!", Diego demandingly asked.

Without an answer, Diego found himself knocked unconscious from behind. Before going totally unconscious, his last clear image was of a pair of deformed, green feet with a stick next to them.

"Damn Donnie, I didn't know you had it in ya. Way to take charge and man up!"

"Raph, I only did that because you were going to massacre this guy. I did the logical thing, thank you very much.", Don said calmly.

"Yeah…whatever, brainiac", Raph said while pulling his sais from the two thugs limp and lifeless bodies.

Behind them, another figure dropped from a rooftop, and landed silently on his feet. As it stood and surveyed the damage that had been done, it only had one, simple question to ask.

"Raph, why did you go overboard again?"

"Me?! Hey Leo, don't blame all of this on me! Donnie helped too, ya know!", Raph said semi-loudly.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but, are those not your stab wounds on these guys?", Don said calmly.

"Don't be such a smart ass, Donnie", Raph growled.

"All right guys. That's enough. Don? How many more of these guys are we dealing with here?", Leo asked.

"I want to say about a dozen more, or so. They seemed to be heavily armed with knives, guns and other junkyard fodder", Don explained.

"Well, I guess we'll have to even up those odds a bit, eh?", Raph said with a twisted grin on his face.

Leonardo didn't bother arguing with Raphael. He knew his brother was right, and he allowed him to have his way this time. Innocent lives were in jeopardy, and the three brothers had to make haste. Raphael grabbed one of the dead thugs' bodies and hoisted it up on his shoulders. He then began to climb up the side of a building with it.

"Raph?! What are you doing?!", Leo said

"I'm doing the 'ninja thing'", Raph gruffly responded.

"Oh, and what is that? Announcing ourselves to the outside world?!", Leo snapped back.

"No fearless leader. It's called 'sending a message'. You DO remember how to do this, don'tcha?!", Raph snapped back in response.

Donatello just shook his head and climbed up the building with his brothers. He knew all too well of the countless fights and arguments his older brothers had, and of how many of those arguments he had to try and break up when he was near. As the three brothers were just above the group of thugs in the alley, Raphael began to snarl and drool noticeably. He hated the fact that they had to forever stay in the shadows, while human scum like this roamed free. He made it his personal mission to make sure these punks feared the darkness the enveloped the city. Raph hoisted the body above his head, while turning to Don and Leo.

"Let's see if this message is clear enough…", Raph said while throwing the body off the rooftop.

As Sam and Karla were gasping for air, Two-tone wouldn't release his grip from their throats. He wanted them to see each the life fade from their weakened, abused and broken bodies. The end seemed imminent, and the delay was making it that much worse.

"Say good night, girly", Two-tone said smugly.

Just as darkness loomed over the two girls, a small shred of hope became visible. The body that Raphael had tossed off of the roof had landed right on top of a thug standing near Two-tone.

"What the hell?! Slim! What happened?!", a random thug asked aloud.

Without a sound, the three turtles lept from the roof with weapons in hand. It was time to kill or be killed; and those were the odds Raphael loved the most. When he landed, without hesitation, Raphael tossed his sais into the eye sockets of one of the thugs with his gun drawn. Don leaped at another, smashing his head in with his bo staff.

"What are these freaks?! Shoot em up fast, boys!", Two-tone shouted.

Three random thugs drew guns, and pointed them at Don and Raph, who were preoccupied with some thugs on the other side of the alley.

"Hold still, you green skinned freak…", a thug said while putting his finger on the trigger.

With a flash of light, the thugs found their guns sliced in two pieces. Looking around for the cause, all one thug found was a roundhouse kick to the face. Another thug tried to attack Leo with a series of punches aimed at the head, but Leo grabbed his fist, and flipped him over onto his back, while crushing his throat with his foot. The other thug tried to flee deeper into the alley, but found himself on the receiving end of a vicious assault by Raphael's fists.

"Prepare to die, freak!", Two-tone screamed as he charged at Don with a crowbar.

Don usually found brute force and mindless violence disturbing, but that little 'holier than thou' phrase Two-tone screamed at him almost made him laugh. Don stood there with his bo staff in place. Two-tone swung at Donatello's head, just missing him. Don lunged his bo deep in Two-tone's gut, then swung upward, catching Two-tone in the jaw. Two-tone fell on his back and tried to do a leg sweep on Don, but failed miserably. Don knew the criminal element of this city all too well, and he saw the attack coming a mile away. Don lept up and slammed a tip of his bo staff right dead center on Two-tone's forehead, rendering him unconscious. Leo surveyed the scene and approved of it.

"Good job guys. Now we better move quickly before we get any unneeded attention drawn to ourselves", Leo said.

"Hey bro, I don't these guys are gonna say shit about it", Raph said while holding up a thug by the collar.

"Hey guys! Look at this!", Don shouted.

Leo and Raph ran over to another end of the alley, following Don's voice. They found Don kneeled next to two limp female bodies in a corner of the alley. They were knocked out but very much alive. Don placed a finger underneath Karla's neck to check her pulse, then did the same for Samantha. The pulses were very, very faint, but they were alive.

"Guys we have to get them out of here", Leo said

"Yeah? And what do you suppose we do, Leo? Waltz right into the emergency room and say 'oh yeah, we found these chicks laid up in an alley' while we have blood on us AND our weapons?!", Raph screamed.

"HEY! YOU WERE THE ONE WHO WANTED TO TAKE A DETOUR WHILE WE WERE TRAINING, HOTHEAD!", Leo screamed back at Raphael.

"Oh, so helping the helpless is a crime now, eh fearless one? Oh, you're right, and I'm wrong, as usual, huh?!", Raph said while getting in Leo's face.

"Not tonight Raph. Do NOT do this right now", Leo said in a calmer tone.

"Guys! Come on! Cool it, will you PLEASE?!", Don screamed.

Granted it takes a lot for Don to 'lose it', but over the years he has grown tired of his brothers' constant bickering and fighting. He knew what needed to be done. He had no doubt in his mind. He picked up Samantha and carried her in his arms.

"They are coming with us. I can help them", Don said.

"Are you sure, Donnie? I mean, you know how humans like to…react…to us", Leo said.

"We don't have any other choice right now, Leo.", Don said.

Leo gently picked up Karla and carried her in his arms. The three disappeared into the night, with the injured girls officially in their care. As they made their way back to the lair, Don and Leo gently placed Karla and Samantha on the stretchers in Don's lab. Don made the necessary adjustments to make sure the two were comfortable, despite the circumstances. Leo made his way back to the living room with Raph, who was punching his punching bag with no remorse. As Don was tending to the girls' wounds, he couldn't help but feel for them. As he looked down at them, he couldn't help but shed a tear. Even though he had enhanced intelligence, he still couldn't understand why people did things like this to their own kind. He knew what needed to be done, and he wasn't going to leave their sides until he made sure they were going to be alright.


	9. Chapter 2: Back to Basics

Chapter 2: Back to Basics

It had been two weeks since the turtles rescued Karla and Samantha from the vicious thugs in the alley. Don kept a close eye on them, monitoring their progress, checking for vital signs of life or movement from them, as well as keeping as much of his body and face hidden, in case they were to awaken. Don knew all too well what happens when humans, especially human women, came into contact with a 5 foot tall turtle. One particular morning, Don decided to go through the girls' clothes, just to find some sort of identification. He picked up Karla's jeans and searched through the pockets, but didn't find anything resembling ID. As he grabbed Samantha's jeans, he heard movement from one of the beds. He immediately dropped the clothing and ran over to Samantha, who was finally coming to.

"Huh…where…oh God, my head…" Sam muttered under her breath.

Sam opened her eyes and looked around the lab. At first, she thought that she was dreaming of Dr. Jekyll and Dr. Hyde again, but upon further observation, she soon discovered that her 'dream' wasn't a dream at all. Sam slowly sat up and tried to steady her movements, seeing as how she was still relatively weak from the beating and near rape she and her sister almost endured. Sam didn't seem concerned, but she was eager to find out where she was. Just as she got out of bed, she looked over to the other side of the room and saw Karla lying motionless on her bed.

"KARLA!", Sam screamed with utter fear in her voice.

"I don't recommend that you do anything to startle her, Miss.", a voice said from the shadows.

"Who are you?! What do you want with me?!", Sam screamed out.

Don already made his voice known to Sam, so now he had no other choice but to reveal himself to her. Given the circumstances, she had a right to know who had a hand in saving her that night, as well as knowing who took the time to nurse them back to health. His only concern, however, was how she would react to his appearance. Don quickly hid his face and walked out from the dark corner of his lab.

"My name is Donatello; Donatello Hamato. My brothers and I found you, and this other young lady, in the alley a few weeks ago. You have been under my watchful eye the entire time", Don said with a calming and sincere voice.

"You…but…those animals tried to…they touched me and my sister…"

"Not to worry. The…authorities came and took care of them", Don said to veer from the fact that he also had a hand in killing those same thugs.

As Samantha and Don engaged in conversation, Sam couldn't help but look at Don's figure. He was somewhat shorter than she was, but he was highly muscular, even though he was wearing nothing but a lab coat and doctor apparel. Sam couldn't help but feel relaxed and somewhat mellow from Donatello's calm demeanor, and she loosened up slightly.

"That's a relief. Um…my name is Samantha Campbell, but, you can just call me Sam", Sam said with a slight grin on her face.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Sam. You can simply refer to me as Don", Don said with a soft smile behind his medical mask.

"Ok…Don. Um…are you a doctor?"

"You…can say that, yes. Why do you ask?"

"No reason. I can't thank you enough for what you did for me and my sister. She's going to be ok, isn't she?"

"Yes, she will be fine once she wakes up. I gave her a sedative to help her sleep, which is why she is still knocked out on the bed over there. How about you? How do you feel this morning?"

"Well…my stomach still hurts from where I was hit, and I have a headache. Other than that, I feel ok."

"The medicine hasn't made it's way to the pained areas yet. It will occur soon, I promise you", Don stated while walking over to his desk.

Sam looked around and spotted her clothes on a chair. They had been washed about a week or so ago, so they still had the 'fresh-from-the-dryer' scent lingering on them. She grabbed them and turned to Don.

"Don?"

"Yes Sam?"

"Do you have a changing room or a bathroom around here?"

Donatello's eyes widened at that question. The only bathroom in the lair was located on the 2nd floor, near Raph's room. Don wasn't even sure if Leo or Raph had awakened yet. He quickly devised a plan to keep not only his identity hidden, but the identities of his brothers as well. Don quickly got up from his desk, and opened the door of his lab, peeking out into the lair. Nothing was on, no one was awake, and there were virtually no signs of life. Everything seemed good to go. Don led Sam to the bathroom, being as quiet as he could be. He knew better than anyone about how ornery Raph gets when his sleep gets disturbed, especially when he finally goes to sleep in the first place.

"Here you are, Sam. Take all the time you need."

"Thanks again, Don", Sam said with a soft, grateful smile.

As Sam walked into the bathroom, Don immediately began searching the lair for signs of Leonardo or Raphael. Don wasn't usually the turtle to panic, but in this case, he had to cover his tracks, so to speak. The last thing he needed was for Samantha to see either of his brothers, and have her slip into a fit of madness. Don peeked in Leo's room, only to find his bed made up and his katanas taken from the wall. Either Leo hasn't been home, or he left early in the morning. Either way, Don was a bit relieved, because that just left one more brother: Raphael. Gently closing Leo's bedroom door behind him, Don trotted down the hall to Raph's room. As soon as he placed his hand on the doorknob, the telephone rang. "Oh great…", Don said as he crept down the stairs. Don ran to the kitchen to grab the phone. It was April calling, and nothing made his heart beat faster than having an intelligent conversation with her, but on this particular day, he had a very tough decision to make; ignore April, or expose his family. Don quickly answered the call and spoke briefly with April.

"Hey April!"

"Hi Donny! How are you?"

"I'm good, just a bit busy at the moment…"

As Donatello tried his level best to get rid of April in the nicest way possible, Raphael had awakened and left his room. As he stretched, his muscles rippled and flexed, and a slight grin came over his face. Raphael walked towards the bathroom and opened the door. At that moment, Samantha was half dressed, her panties exposed, as she stand there slightly bent over, pulling up her jeans. Raph and Sam's eyes locked, almost like a deer staring at the headlights of a car as it comes zooming down the road. Sam couldn't believe what she was looking at; a 5 foot tall, heavily muscled and battle scarred turtle. Not only that, but, she wasn't exactly dressed for the occasion, if at all. Raph, on the other hand, didn't care. He just stared at her, but then reality hit. This girl never saw him or his brothers before. Slowly backing away, Raph tried to make it seem like a really bizarre dream, but to no avail.

"FREAK!", Sam screamed out, as she stumbled over her jeans.

"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU CALL M—" was all Raphael could get out.

Samantha lunged at the door and slammed it in Raph's face. She began to lock it, and she hid in the bathtub, seeing as how that was the only place for her to fit into in that bathroom. Sam began to cry and shake her head repeatedly, trying her level best to psych herself out from what she just saw. Raphael, who at that point was livid on the other side of the door, was repeatedly banging on it, shouting profanities and screaming at her through the door. Don heard the mayhem unfold, which is what he feared. As he sunk back in the chair, he could feel someone watching him from a distance. He immediately looked up, just to find Leonardo looking down at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Donny? What is going ON up there?"

Don began to inform Leo of what had already transpired earlier that morning, while they quickly made their way to an irate Raphael and an undoubtedly freaked out Samantha. All Donatello could do, realistically, was hope that things went smoothly; but with Raphael in one of his 'moods', it was a volatile situation indeed.


	10. Chapter 3: Friendly Encounters (Part 1)

Chapter 3: Friendly Encounters (Part 1)

Leo could already feel his body getting tensed up, which was usually when he knew he would engage in another fight with Raphael. Seeing his irate younger brother pounding against the bathroom door was one thing, but to have a scared human woman on the other side of it was something else entirely.

"Raph, what are you doing? You're going to scare this girl. I think you shou-"

"I ain't calmin' SHIT down, Leo! Did'ja hear what she called me?! Ya think I'm going to let THAT go?!", Raph stated with anger in his eyes.

"Look, I know you're upset, but breaking down the door isn't going to get this lady in our good graces. Besides, we need to think rationally about this. Now could you PLEASE step away from the door so I can talk to her?"

"RATIONAL?! Ya wanna be RATIONAL right now, Leo?! Don't ya get it? We're NEVER gonna be accepted by people like them. Every time we risk our necks for these damn broads, WE get the short end of the fuckin' stick. Not me. Not this time."

Leo was about to retort until he looked into Raphael's eyes. He saw rage, anger, but more importantly sadness. A sadness of not being accepted, or for fear of being the only one like himself. Many nights Leo stayed awake pondering the same thing, but like Raph, he had his own way of dealing with it. His training sessions and meditation with Master Splinter helped clear his mind of the woes of life in the human world, thus making the blows become softened. Raphael, on the other hand, held onto his emotions, letting them fuel him in either a negative or positive way. The moment with Samantha probably set something off within him.

"Guys, if you're done with your senseless fighting, I would like to try to speak with Sam."

Raphael looked at Donnie with a similarly angry look, almost with that of disdain.

"You know her name? Ya actually talked to this chick? And she WASN'T scared of ya?"

"To be fair, I did have my body concealed. It doesn't really make sense to have it concealed anymore since she's seen you.", Donnie said as he removed his lab coat, slinging it over his shoulder.

Donnie stepped up to the still locked bathroom door, knocking on it gently, yet firmly. Samantha, who had taken refuge in the bathtub earlier, still has yet to move. Fear, denial and a strong sense of what is and isn't real overtook her, and she refused to accept what she saw. A large, talking, irate turtle-man. As she heard the knocking once again, she sank lower and lower into the tub, her mind racing with thoughts of negativity and fear.

"I need to get out of here...", Sam repeated to herself soon after the initial meeting with Raph. "I need to get Karla and I out of here. Fast."

At that moment, the door slowly opened to a slow halt. As Sam tried to physically sink lower into the tub to remain hidden as best as she could, she couldn't help but see the turtle-man entering the medium sized bathroom with a mini tool kit. His skin was a lighter shade of green than that of the previous turtle she had unfortunately laid eyes on, and he was of a slightly less muscular build and frame as well. His soft brown eyes gave her a sense of warmth and fearlessness, which is what kept her from darting out of the bathroom to begin with, and his purple bandana draped effortlessly over his shoulder which housed his lab coat and latex gloves. Samantha sat up in the tub, eying Donnie, but she couldn't help but feel semi-safe. She began to wonder if she was crazy, or possibly drugged. Her mind raced onward at the sight of Donnie, who made no motion toward her for fear of giving her a bigger shock than she initially had with his older brother. Soon, the silence was broken.

"My younger brother locked himself in the bathroom many times, so I've become adept at picking the lock.", Don said as he put the tool kit back in its holster on his belt. "I'm sorry that this had to happen, Sam. I know that this is a bit of a shock, but i-"

"A BIT of a shock? I'm sitting here, naked, in a slightly dingy bathtub, talking to a giant turtle. I'm way past shocked at this point, fella."

Donnie couldn't argue with her words, especially if he was in her position. He did, however, chuckle at her choice of words. It wasn't everyday that someone masked fear with humor.

"Fair enough. I'm Donatello, by the way. The angry guy that you had the slight misfortune of seeing earlier? That was my older brother Raphael. I do apologize for his...less than appealing demeanor. He means well. He does. He's just...well, he's a little bit of a-"

"Rude?", Sam chimed in.

"Sure. You can say that. But he's also a bit o-"

"Doesn't know how to talk to ladies?"

"Valid. Bu-"

"Too many roids in his corn flakes?"

Donnie couldn't take it anymore. He let out a loud laugh, seemingly laughing harder than he's ever laughed in the past nine years. Samantha looked at him with a semi-confused look on her face, wondering why he lost his marbles after that particular statement.

"I thank you for making my ribs hurt. But, no, no steroids in the corn flakes. He's just hotheaded, is all. I think your calling him a 'freak' kind of set him off. He doesn't really like being called that word, especially since he did something nice to begin with."

"What do you mean? What did he do for me?"

"Well, if it weren't for Raph's defiance of my other brother's word, you and your sister would've been murdered in the alley that night. He was the one who saw what went down, and he led the charge on the attack."

Samantha's eyes practically popped out of her head, in addition to a strong wave of regret coming over her. She called Raphael a 'freak', yet he was the one to lay down the groundwork for her and Karla's survival. She felt like a heel, and there was nothing she could do to remedy the situation yet. Looking up at Donnie again, she couldn't help but feel the fear and uncertainty escape her, leaving her with more awe than questions. Then again, she got the same feeling from Twilight Zone marathons and endless hours of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, so this seemingly fit into her world, so to speak.

"So...the police weren't involved that night...were they?", Sam asked as she looked Donatello square in the eyes.

"No", Don said honestly. "My brothers and I took matters into our own hands to not only ensure you and your sister's survival, but ours as well."

Sam slightly hesitated before asking her final question, but Donatello's eyes, demeanor and overall attitude made it so she wouldn't feel afraid or ridiculous for feeling the way she did.

"Are they dead?", Sam blurted out.

"...Would you deem it wrong if I said yes?", Don said with an almost unsure tinge to his voice, totally unsure as to how Samantha would react to his answer.

Samantha stood up, stepped out of the tub and approached Donnie. Her mind was blank, and every thought she had up to that point vanished; every thought except for that night. The near rape stayed with her, and she knew that the nightmares would come, but her heroes, at least one of them, was standing directly in front of her. He looked so calm, so wise, yet strong and determined. Sam did what she knew how to do: she embraced Donnie in a tight hug, the tears beginning to flow from her eyes. Emotion had taken her over, and she could finally express it without a gun being pointed to her head or without her body being grabbed and pulled like a prison inmate. Donatello, on the other hand, was unsure if he should return the hug, having only had April as a hugging partner, as far as humans go. Deciding against his overbearing thoughts, he returned the hug without question.

"Thank you, Don. You saved my life, and I don't know how to repay you.", Sam said with a shaky voice.

"You don't have to thank me for doing the right thing, Sam. I'm just glad you're okay."

Sam looked down at Don, not having far to look down, seeing as how she was roughly 5' 2". She smiled at him, wiping away her tears, almost feeling silly for having cried in front of him. After a few brief seconds of emotion, she began to revert back to her old self.

"So...you got anything to eat around here? I'm kind of hungry."

"Sure thing. In fact, I could call my friend and have her bring something if you didn't want anything other than cold pizza or leftover chinese food."

"Are you kidding? Cold pizza is pretty much amazing.", Sam said with a toothy grin on her face.

"I suppose so.", Don said with a chuckle. "However, there are some...matters we need to discuss with you. Perhaps we can take this to the living room area so we can get comfortable."

"Okay. But, just who is 'we' exactly?"

"Myself, my brothers and our closest friends. Since you've seen us, and you know what we are, there are some rules, so to speak, that we need to bestow upon you."

"Rules?", Sam said as she cocked her head to the side somewhat.

Don led Sam out of the bathroom and into the living room area. As they got closer to the couches, Sam saw Raph and Leo sitting down on one of the couches, looking dead at her and Donnie. She began to feel slightly awkward, especially since she engaged in a verbal war of misunderstanding with Raphael some time ago. Don and Sam sat down on the other couch, looking at Raph and Leo. It was time to let it all out in the open yet again, just as their master had done many times before.


End file.
